The Draft Urban Forest Management Strategy was presented to Council-in-Committee on Monday, March 30, 2026. Founded in research and supported by community input, the Draft Strategy sets a clear vision to grow, protect and care for the city’s trees, parks and natural areas so they continue to support a healthier, cooler and more liveable community for generations to come.

The Strategy is organized around four theme areas: forests, urban trees, community involvement, and overall urban forest management. It is supported by a detailed implementation plan that outlines priority actions, timelines and how progress will be tracked.

To monitor success of the Strategy, the City is proposing specific, measurable targets and annual reporting under five key areas: tree planting and replacement, urban tree health, urban tree diversity, forest and natural area management, and community involvement.

The Draft Urban Forest Management Strategy will be presented to the Community Working Group, the Sustainability and Environmental Advisory Committee and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation in the coming weeks. Following this, the Strategy will be refined and presented to Council for approval in the near future.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

About the Project

We are developing a plan to maintain and enhance Coquitlam’s urban forest to benefit our community.

An urban forest consists of all trees, forests, vegetation and soils in our city, including in our yards, streets and parks.

Our urban forest provides us with many environmental, social, health and economic benefits. It supports high levels of biodiversity, improves air quality, cools urban heat islands, and provides high-value recreational opportunities. It is important for keeping our community happy and healthy.

But, urban forests face increasing challenges due to climate change, growing population, pests, and diseases.

To ensure our community continues to benefit from a healthy urban forest, we are in the process of developing an Urban Forest Management Strategy.

This strategy will:

• Evaluate the current conditions of Coquitlam’s urban forest
• Establish a community-supported urban forest vision and goals
• Provide guidance and strategic actions to grow, manage, and protect the city’s urban forest

The development of an Urban Forest Management Plan was identified as a short term action item in the City’s Environmental Sustainability Plan. The Urban Forest Management Strategy project background work started in November 2023.

Coquitlam’s Urban Forest is situated on the lands within the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation’s traditional and ancestral territory. This project is an important opportunity for the City and its partners to continue to demonstrate a commitment to advancing reconciliation through ongoing engagement and collaboration with kʷikʷəƛ̓əm representatives.

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